My Top 100 Games of All Time: #40-31

40. Final Fantasy VII

(PS1, 1997)

This game turned the RPG genre on its ass, revitalized and revolutionized the entire genre, is probably the reason the Playstation absolutely crushed the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn, and is often considered one of the greatest RPGs of all time. While I agree it was absolutely influential and revolutionized RPGs and the Final Fantasy series, it did not age as well as I hoped. I still loved the game to death for a good three years, and its story even influenced me to start writing fiction. The cast of characters is still one of my favorite groups in all of gaming, and I can't even mention gaming without at least thinking about Final Fantasy VII at some point. It truly was a fantastic game. I just wish it aged better so I could rank it higher on my list. The graphics are pretty ugly and the gameplay feels sluggish and a bit dated. The story still holds up well, and the soundtrack is fantastic. It's just not quite as timeless as other games on the list but it was an absolute powerhouse in its day.

39. Animal Crossing

(GCN, 2002)

I was so hyped for this game when it was announced in 2002 since this is exactly the type of game I needed at that time. It is still one of the most unique and charming games, aside from its sequels, that I've played. The concept of a game living beside yours was mind boggling at the time. Whatever time it was in real life, that's what time is was in the game. And like every game in the series, there were no clear goals. You could literally do whatever you wanted. And the conversations with your animal villagers (yes, you're the only human) almost felt real, like you wanted to continue to talk to them and make friends. And when you didn't show up for a few weeks, your flowers died, cockroaches filled your house, weeds grew, and the villagers thought you forgot about them. You could design your house with hundreds of items found in the game, either through buying them or through special events. There were even holidays like Toy Day (Christmas), Halloween, and New Year's. The villagers even gave you a present on your birthday! It was like your own simplified, cartoony version of your life, and unlike the real world, you could live it however you wanted, without almost any limits.

38. Terranigma

(SNES, 1996)

One of two games that never officially made it to the United States, this game really took me by surprise when I just recently played it for the first time. I've known about this game for a good 15 years, but couldn't get into it back then. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I finally rebought a precious Super Nintendo, and shortly afterwards I bought a reproduction copy of Terranigma. Though I never played it before, or more than an hour anyway, I figured it would be something I would enjoy, as this game is highly regarded by many Super Nintendo fans. Upon playing this, I felt an instant wave of nostalgia. I felt like I was transported to 1996, when I was 13, and when life was simpler. It was a crazy feeling playing a game that's 19 years old for the first time and feeling like I haven't aged a day since the day it came out. Super Nintendo was a truly magical system and Terranigma really took me back to the days when it was still relevant. The gameplay is extremely intuitive and the combat is fluid. The music is great, and graphics might just be the absolute best in the entire SNES library. The story is also very interesting - you start out in the underworld when the upper world is pretty much erased and it's your job as the main character to revive the entire world, piece by piece, and each event you go through, and each dungeon you visit, you revive another part of the world. It's really wonderful to watch the world almost go from nonexistent to the Stone Age, to Medieval Times, to present day and beyond. I just at the very end of the game as of this writing, and I truly loved this game. The only reason I can't rank it higher than it is, is because there are a half a dozen  sections that I'd probably never have figured out on my own had I not referred to a guide. Certain points give you zero indication on how to progress the story, and I hate feeling stuck, so I had no choice but to use a guide. Terranigma is one of those rare treats of a game that is both a mark of its time and timeless.

37. Mega Man X

(SNES, 1994)

What can I say about Mega Man X that hasn't been said about any other Mega Man game on the list? It's freakin' Mega Man! One of the absolute best action platformer series in gaming history! Mega Man X is one of the best. It was just such a fantastic start to a new series starring the blue bomber. Mega Man X had the best villains, the best stages, and one of the best soundtracks in the entire series. The gameplay expanded on the original Mega Man series, and as such I generally prefer the X series over the original Mega Man series but for the most part you just can't go wrong with Mega Man, regular or X. I first played this game in the early 2000s on an emulator but I plan on picking this up on SNES soon since it's such a classic must-have.

36. Legend of Mana

(PS1, 2000)

One of the most strikingly beautiful games on the Playstation, this game plays almost a collection of short stories as opposed to a typical RPG which plays like an epic novel. It is a fantasy world I absolutely love getting lost in. It almost reminds me of a book of fables, going from land to land helping certain characters' problems and exploring the location. There are some puzzles involved, but it's mostly an action-based affair. This is not your typical action RPG, and it's not a direct sequel to Secret of Mana or any game in the Mana series, but it does have some resemblance. Every once in a while I find myself craving this adventure, and just running through it just to re-explore every location in the game. It is a fantasy experience that you must get lost in to really understand what it's about.

35. Pokemon Emerald

(GBA, 2005)

My absolute favorite Pokemon game. Ruby & Sapphire are great too, but Emerald expanded on those games and added a decent amount of content while refining what was already there. The third generation of Pokemon games (Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald) had some of my favorite new Pokemon, was my favorite location (Hoenn), and had my favorite soundtrack in the series. Overall it was a very memorable experience. The remakes in OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire are nearly as fantastic but despite the new versions being in 3D, I guess I just prefer the originals for their simplicity. Emerald was also the game in the series that proved to me that Pokemon was still great and I haven't (not will I ever) outgrow Pokemon.

34. Mega Man 9

(Wii, 2008)

Now here is my absolute favorite Mega Man game of all time. This one surprised the hell out of me as well as pretty much every fan in 2008. Capcom reverting to the classic NES-style gameplay for the newest Mega Man game blew our minds. Unfortunately Mega Man 10 used the same style and wasn't quite as good, but Mega Man 9 is truly fantastic. It is, in my opinion, the absolute best in the series in nearly every respect. It has most of my favorite bosses (well on par with MM3), a lot of my favorite levels, a lot of my favorite music, and coupled with the fact that this was a very pleasant surprise, since we didn't even know Mega Man would be returning, let alone in such an awesome NES-esque fashion. My only wish is that they released a physical copy of this, since it's a little disappointing that it's download-only, but even that didn't hinder my enjoyment of this fantastic title.

33. Space Station: Silicon Valley

(N64, 1998)

This is one of those games that almost no one has ever heard of, let alone played, received almost no press or hype prior to its release, yet is critically acclaimed and has a cult following. SSSV is a unique game in which you control a computer chip, and you jump from robot animal to robot animal to accomplish certain tasks. Need to fly? Hop into a bird. Need to swim? Grab a fish. Need to blow something up? Grab a turtle tank. Need to race? There's a racing dog for that. There's a lot of variety in this game, and is in my opinion, the absolute definition of a sleeper hit. It's a platformer with puzzle elements, a quirky atmosphere and storyline, and memorable soundtrack. 

32. Final Fantasy IV

(SNES, 1991)

It's funny to think about now, but there was a time when I thought of any NES or SNES game that I didn't play growing up as outdated. During the N64 era and part of the Gamecube era, my focus was almost 100% on the current generation. It wasn't until I found out about emulation in 2000 or so that I started delving into NES and SNES games I never played. But even through all this time, I still never played Final Fantasy IV (II on the SNES) until it came out for the Game Boy Advance. For whatever reason my love for this game skyrocketed after playing it for the first time. I don't know if it was the amazing soundtrack, the simple but fun gameplay, or the basic but endearing story, but something really struck a chord with me in this game. Truly a fantastic classic. Eventually I did buy it for SNES, as well as the DS remake, and have enjoyed each playthrough. For a while I felt this was close to my absolute favorite Final Fantasy, but re-evaluation has shown me it's not as high up there as I thought. It's still fantastic and timeless. I could also play it dozens of times and not get bored of it. I guess just after comparing game to game, a few others have knocked this game down the ladder. Like I said, though, still a fantastic game.

31. Super Mario Bros. 3

(NES, 1990)

Considered one of the best Mario games as well as one of the best NES games, there's few gamers out there who haven't at least heard of this game. Super Mario Bros. 3 picked up where the original Super Mario Bros left off- everything was bigger and better in this enormous sequel. I never get tired of revisiting this game. The gameplay is so classic, so tried and true, that it is impossible to ever not like it. It's funny that even today I still remember every secret in the game. I miss the days when secrets were actually secret since I didn't know about them, but their revelations only made me love the game more. It is just an absolute classic. Nothing more needs to be said.